Yuugiou! Balance Special Edition
by Skyla Doragono
Summary: Year three at Hogwarts revised edition. An escaped convict is after Harry, but that's only mundane compaired to the mysterious dreams that continue to haunt Draco...
1. Rise and Shine

**Yuugiou!  
Balance**

I can hear the fan geeks going, "It's about DAMN time!" all the way from here.

Life sucks. Read the fic. Enjoy.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE – RISE AND SHINE**

The English countryside spread out far below the king owl that was carefully making its way to its destination, careful to avoid any unnecessary scrutiny. It was difficult, however, as the owl was not only flying out in the daytime, but also because of its _size. _It was much larger than normal owls – it was not called a _king _owl for nothing, after all – and was easily spotted, even at the height it was traveling. No matter what, though, he had to get the precious letters it had clasped in its talons to his master with the least bit of detection… and it was not the Muggles it was worried about. Oh no… Muggles could have easily thought of the owl as one that had just been awoken from its nest and dismissed it.

No… it was more worried about other wizards…

Fortunately, the owl's destination was finally in sight: a large mansion far away from any town, wizard and Muggle town alike. It had a dreary air to it, as if the residence dabbled in things that were not meant to be dabbled in.

At least his master was trying to straighten his act.

The owl landed just outside the window of a bedroom on the upper east side of the mansion, and tapped its beak against the glass impatiently. Unfortunately, for all its careful flying, it was in for a wait. The owl glared inside the room, hooting angrily when he spotted his master still asleep, buried under a thick pile of covers. It hooted again, and tapped its beak much more forcefully.

"Sn'wha…?" his master's sleepy voice finally came, poking his messy blonde head out from under the covers. Spotting his owl, he crawled out, going over and finally opening the window wide.

The king owl flew in gracefully, letting out another angry hoot, before dropping his precious mail on its master's desk. It swooped around the room, settling on its perch to eat as the master closed the window before plopping down at said desk.

Draco Malfoy rubbed the sleep away from his eyes futilely, wishing he could just crawl back into bed right away. He could not risk leaving this mail out in the open, however; not in this house, at least. He knew his room was safe from prying eyes, but he knew if he crawled back into bed, his father would storm in later to haul him out, and that would be nothing short of disastrous.

He shifted through the mail, spotting a letter from Ron and Harry and Yuugi each. A smirk came to his face at the envelope containing the older Japanese boy's letter; apparently, he had begun to write in his native language, before scribbling it out and replacing it with gibberish that Draco could actually read.

Draco leaned back, deciding to open up Ron's letter first. He had heard that the redhead's father had won some prize or other, but it had not been safe for him to get the details. Turning the envelope over, he shook out a newspaper article, a small box, and an even smaller note.

Picking up the article first, he smoothed it out, before beginning to read:

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE**  
**SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE**

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle  
Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won  
the annual _Daily Prophet_ Grand Prize Galleon Draw.

A delighted Mr. Weasley told the _Daily Prophet,  
_"We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in  
Egypt, where our elder son, Bill, works as a curse  
breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt,  
returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts,  
which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Draco felt a smirk creep up on his lips as he eyed the picture that came with the newspaper clipping; of a good chunk of the Weasley tribe waving energetically at the camera. Ron was holding that stupid rat of his, trying to get it to wave as well. Why he even bothered with that thing still amazed him.

Draco set the article aside, before eyeing the note and the box. The note was very short:

_I thought you'd like this._

"Why am I worried…?" he mumbled, opening up the box… to reveal a small necklace, with a wdjat charm – an eye design similar to the one that decorated the Millennium Items – surrounded by feathers. His expression instantly turned sour.

"Oh, you're a riot, Weasel," he grumbled, setting it aside in favor of Harry's letter.

Harry's letters he always found amusing, as the Gryffindor boy would always write about some torment his dreadful Muggle aunt and uncle put him through, or what prank he pulled on that vile cousin of his. Muggles probably always would hold a bit of distaste for him, but none more so than Harry's Muggles. He was surprised the other boy had put up with them for this long.

The note ended with the mention that another relative was coming to pay them a visit, and how he had a feeling this was not going to be ending well for him. Draco _almost _felt sorry for him, but there was nothing he could do about it, even if he was completely regretful for his companion's current condition. At least, not while he was still pretending to be the obnoxious son of a Death Eater while being a friend to the Boy that Lived behind closed doors.

He set Harry's not aside, before turning to Yuugi's. His was a be lengthy; about how he had won the dueling tournament that year without the help of his other half, about how said other half was practically getting hogged by the tomb robber Bakura, while the quiet and unassuming Bakura rarely ever got to go out and about on his own any more.

"Someone needs to put a leash on that thief…" he muttered under his breath, folding up Yuugi's note and stuffing it back in the envelope.

Draco gathered up the letters then, going to his bed and ducking down, lifting the bed skirt and pulling the rug aside to access a loose floorboard that concealed his little secret. He placed the letters with the others he had received over the summer, marveling slightly at how they had multiplied. There was at least five from Marik, three from Hermione and Yuugi a piece, six from Harry, and the one from Ron, Bakura, and Seto. The thought of it made him feel a bit warm inside; letters addressed to him from friends, not lackeys. It was still a new feeling and he was not quite sure yet if it was something he enjoyed, but…

"It beats the alternative," he muttered, replacing the floorboard and the carpet, before eyeing the little gift from Ron. He should beat him over the head with it when he got back from Egypt, but for now…

Draco lifted his mattress slightly, and was rewarded with a glint of gold. The Millennium Scales looked back at him innocently; as if the stupid thing really was not the source of nightmares and strange dreams he did not understand. Despite that though… he now knew that the thing was not intentionally trying to torment him. It was trying to tell him something, but what that was, he had a feeling he would not know until it actually happened.

He dropped the box next to the Item, and with a soft sigh, crawled up to his bed and settled down into it, pulling the covers up over his face. Now that that was out of the way, maybe he could get in a couple hours more of sleep…

"_Draco!"_

Then again… maybe not.

-.oOOo.-

Not even counting Mutou and the rest of the dream team, Draco had seen a lot of strange things in the years he had been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. None of them, however, had shocked him so speechless as the news his father had just given him.

"My… my cousin…?" he managed to get out, looking reasonably shocked.

"You heard me, boy," his father replied stiffly over his breakfast. "Your cousin is coming to live with us. She will be transferring to your school this year."

Draco felt a lump hit the bottom of his stomach. His cousin, Ecillia LeStrange, was probably just about as not right in the head as her errant mother, who was currently locked up in the Wizard's prison of Azkaban for being a Death Eater. The thought of having to _live _with her and go to _school _with her…

"Why _her?" _Draco finally groaned, suddenly finding himself not hungry.

His father gave him a critical look. "Her grandparents recently passed away. With her parents locked up, we are the only family available to take care of her. And so we _will be."_

The last was said in a tone that did not invite argument, and Draco did not provide any. Still though, Ecillia… it was going to be much harder to associate with the others this year when he had to worry about her snooping around, as he had no doubt that was exactly what she would be doing.

-.oOOo.-

Not even a day into his cousin's indefinite stay at the Malfoy mansion, and Draco already hated her presence. Ecillia had apparated to the household with the help of a friend's parent, or some such person that he was sure to forget once they left, and she immediately started speaking to him as if he were a child, as opposed to only a month or so apart. Then, after she had been introduced to her rooms, she had decided to pay his a visit so she could "get to know him".

Like he _really _believed that was her reasoning.

When he had kicked her out, he had flopped over on his bed, which was where he was currently, weakly massaging the sides of his head as he rested on his stomach, sunlight from the window splashing over his legs. Bloody bitch… he could not wait until he was back in school; at least that was a bigger place to hide away from that menace.

Draco rolled over onto his back… and found himself staring up at emptiness. He jumped up, looking around in surprise as the room fell away, leaving him in a vast expanse of darkness.

"Oh, bloody hell…" he swore. "Not this again…!"

A low rumbling came from beneath him, and he braced himself as the creature that had been haunting his dreams for a while lurched up from the darkness. This was no longer the red-eyed menace that had tormented him during school last year, however. Slowly, his dreams and visions had mutated into this monstrosity: a black, snake-like creature that never seemed to do much other than hiss at him, almost like it was trying to tell him something.

This time, though… this time it seemed angry. Before Draco could attempt communication (a futile effort, as he found out in previous encounters), the creature lunged straight for him…

"GAH!" he exclaimed, rolling over and falling off the bed, hitting his head hard enough to leave a rather sizable lump. Shaking his head, he grumbled as he pushed himself up, cursing that damn Item and everything that had to do with it.

"Goodness, what a nasty mouth my cousin has!"

Draco came close to finding out what it felt like to jump out of ones skin, as he whirled around to see Ecillia leering down at him.

"What do you want?" he snapped. "What part of stay out of my room did you miss the last time?"

"Tut, tut, my dear cousin," she replied patronizingly. "I'm merely here to announce that supper is ready."

Draco blinked, before looking outside to see the sun setting. What the… had so much time really passed by…?

Ecillia yawned, bored. "Goodness, my sweet, sweet baby cousin is such a lazy boy on top of everything else…"

"Sod off," Draco grumbled, finally getting to his feet. "Go on, get out of here! Let me make myself presentable in peace!"

He ushered her out of the room, managing to resist the urge to shove her out the door, before slamming said door in her face. Pausing, he waited until her footsteps were out of his hearing range down the hall, before leaning against the door, rubbing his forehead with a hand. He did not understand it… something somewhere was trying to tell him something… but what….?

-.oOOo.-

The wonderful day that Draco and his family went to Diagon Alley to prepare for school could not come soon enough. As it was, as soon as they appeared in the Alley, he insisted that he was going to meet up with Crabbe and Goyle, before bolting off without getting the okay from his parents. Finally, no Ecillia! No nagging! No, "my dear baby cousin" in that senselessly annoying coo of hers! He was…

All thoughts of escaping his tormentor left him as he passed by the broom shop. A group of children and other Quidditch enthusiasts were huddled around the window, proudly showing off the newest broom to hit the market. It was certainly a beautiful creation that just seemed to flow all the way from the tip of the handle to the very last, perfectly placed twig.

Draco could not help himself; he found himself pressing in close along with the other kids so he could read the sign on the display case.

**THE FIREBOLT**

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A  
STREAMLINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED  
WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED  
WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH  
INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL  
HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING  
THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT  
PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150  
MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES  
AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

Draco made a small face. "Price on request" typically meant more money than you could possibly afford in your lifetime, and while he _might _have been able to swing it, there was no way he was going to keep a purchase for that much for one item away from his father for very long, even if it was a broom.

He took one last, longing look at the broom, before turning around… and finding himself smacking headlong into a chest. He stumbled back, rubbing his face as he made to snap at the individual… when he stopped, realizing that he only came to just above the person's waist. Blinking, Draco stared up and up, until he finally found where the tall man's face was. He swallowed softly, trying not to stare overly long at the strange scar over his one eye…

"Rishid!" came a familiar voice. "What are yo—Malfoy!"

Draco brought his gaze down to see the welcome sight of Malik Ishtar, though he managed not to crack a smile, keeping up appearances.

"Ishtar, do you mind on getting your… compensation out of my face?" he replied smoothly.

For a moment, Draco though Malik was either going to burst out laughing or slug him.

"You want to take this elsewhere, you brat?" he finally snapped, though the look on his face was still rather humorous.

"Let's," Draco replied, following Malik off into a quiet, out of the way back road… where he suddenly found himself in a headlock.

"Brat indeed!" Malik exclaimed, mussing up the younger boy's hair has he flailed desperately. "How 'ya doing, Draco?" he asked, finally letting him go.

"Just dandy," Draco replied, managing to smooth out his harassed hair. "Didn't mean to bump into your friend there…"

He eyed where Rishid was standing guard at the entrance to the alley, like anyone with half a brain would even try to get past that big lug.

"Don't worry, he probably didn't even feel it," Malik replied dismissively. "So, how are things? I got your last letter about your cousin. I wish I could say I feel your pain, but damn…"

Draco shook his head. "Things haven't been easy since she showed up. I have to stay up late if I even want to get any letter written, not to mention sent out. I've had to move the ones that you've sent me to a lock box; she came awfully close to finding the loose floorboard I hid them in before." He paused a moment before continuing, "So, is everyone here?"

"Nah, just me and Rishid, though I think Yuugi said they were going to start traveling here today, so they might show up later," Malik explained. "Oh, and Harry's here already…" He trailed off, a grin worming its way onto his face. "You won't believe what happened… he inflated his aunt."

Draco's eyes widened. "Wait… the skinny one?"

"No, a different one, but still no less amusing," Malik replied. "If you get another chance to sneak away from the mighty female terror, try and go see him. I gotta go and finish up my shopping."

Draco waved after him as the Egyptian went back to his guardian, a small smile touching his lips. Things just seemed to get crazier every time he saw those people…

"Draco, dear? Where are _you?"_

Draco sighed softly at the sound of his coming doom.

"Is it September yet…?" he muttered, making his way out of the alley.


	2. On the Road Again

**Yuugiou!  
Balance**

Short chapter this time around. I hope to have another by the weekend.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO – ON THE ROAD AGAIN**

It felt nice to be able to curl up on a plush seat next to the man you loved and not have to worry about something stabbing you in the back while you were conked out. At least, that's what it looked like his other self was thinking, as Yuugi watched him and the tomb robber Bakura sleep. He almost did not want to wake them, but they had to get out of the plane already before Kaiba had a hissy fit.

A bit prodding got Bakura to open his eyes, but Atemu just pouted, curling closer to him. The tomb robber rubbed his eyes, smirking, before he leaned over and kissed the pharaoh's forehead.

"Wake up, lazy," he murmured.

Atemu smiled without opening his eyes. "Only if you do that again," he murmured.

Yuugi rolled his eyes, imagining that if Jounouchi were here, he would have been mock gagging by now.

"C'mon, you two, save the lovey dovey stuff for when you're in the tavern room, hunh?" he teased.

The pharaoh cracked an eye open, an amused look on his face. "I'll remember that when you finally ask Anzu out on a date yourself."

Yuugi turned bright pink, mouthing a few words, before turning and walking away. Bakura sniggered softly, wrapping his arms around the pharaoh; his pharaoh, no one else's. Atemu chuckled in amusement, reaching up to give his forehead a soft peck.

"C'mon, we better get going before Kaiba comes and removes us," he said, before holding up a finger. "Now, remember…!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Bakura grumbled. "Ryou stays out, unless we're in the Leaky Cauldron, or at food time, or otherwise not in class or studying. I know, I know."

The pharaoh smiled sadly, stroking his cheek. "I want you to get your own body too… but I don't want you to go through what I did," he said softly. "It… it really felt like I had died for a moment there…"

Bakura gave him a concerned look, holding him close. "Hey, I'm a tough guy," he murmured. "A little death and dying can't stop me."

Atemu laughed softly, but any further comments were cut off by a rather irate growl coming from the general direction of the exit.

"You two had better not be doing _anything _on my plane!" Kaiba growled, giving them a death glare over the other seats in front of them. Bakura just smirked.

"Oh, sod off, Kaiba," he sneered. "You have no room to talk. I've seen your Gundam brand condoms. They were the Love Cannon ones, right? Or the Gundam Wing special love-love edition?"

Bakura had just gotten up out of his seat and started running as Kaiba came straight for him, livid and bulletproof briefcase swinging. Atemu sighed, resting his head in his hand, though he could not help but smile, imagining Ryou shouting at Bakura to stop trying to get him killed.

It felt wonderful to be back in England…

-.oOOo.-

Several taxi cabs later found Kaiba, Atemu, Yuugi, and Ryou standing outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. They entered the musty bar, to find that it was unusually empty, especially considering the time of night. Yuugi bounded up to the counter almost immediately, where the barkeeper Tom was standing as always.

"Oy there, Yuugi!" Tom exclaimed. "Good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Tom," Yuugi returned. "Do you have rooms for us?"

"Aye, your blonde friend already reserved you some, though he needn't have," Tom replied, reaching under the counter. "Business has been pretty slow lately. Erm… have you heard…?"

"Heard what?" Atemu asked, lugging his trunk behind him as he joined his other half at the counter.

Tom's voice dropped to a whisper, almost like he was afraid of what he was saying. "Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban."

"The wizard's prison?" Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow. "How did he manage that one?"

"And who is he?" Ryou chimed in.

Tom looked nervous as he explained. "Black is a horrible murderer; killed twelve Muggles with one curse just to destroy one wizard," he said. "At least there were things left to the Muggles; all they found of the poor lad that was his target was his finger. Black… used to be such a nice lad… until he settled in with the Dark Lord. People say he was the right hand man of You-Know-Who. How he escaped from Azkaban… well, I wouldn't put anything past 'em." He raised his voice again. "Now, how 'bout them rooms?"

The four of them followed Tom up the narrow staircase that led to the rooms above the Leaky Cauldron with a heavy feeling in the pits of their stomachs (though Kaiba looked as stoic as always). The barkeeper gave each of them a key to a room before going back down to tend the bar. They each deposited their belongings in their respective rooms (Atemu and Bakura were once again sharing a room), and slipped on their Hogwarts cloaks before reconvening in the hallway, school supply list in their hands.

"D'ya think we should take care of our shopping right away?" Ryou asked. "I mean, we have a whole two weeks to do it… and… well, after hearing that… going out at night…"

"Relax; I doubt a murderer would try anything here, even a crazy one," Seto replied dully, looking over his list. "Besides, most of the shops are probably closed by now; we might as well get what we can and get the rest tomorrow."

They were about to head down to the back of the Leaky Cauldron, where the entrance to Diagon Alley was hidden, when a door opened up in front of them, nearly whacking Ryou in the nose. A small, dark haired boy with large glasses and green eyes emerged from behind the door, and let out a shout of surprise when he saw them.

"Are you all right?" Harry Potter asked. "I didn't realize someone was coming down the hall."

"Harry!" Yuugi exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here already? I thought you said you were going to show up next week?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "That's… a _very _long story," he replied, looking like he did not want to tell it. Fortunately, a certain Egyptian coming down the hallway saved him from doing so.

"Hey, you guys! About time you showed up," Malik teased, Rishid standing guard behind him as always.

"Hey, Malik," Atemu greeted, nodding.

"Malik, is there anything open this time of night?" Ryou asked nervously, hoping the answer would be no.

"Just the apothecary, why?" Malik replied, looking confused.

Ryou looked up to Kaiba as the taller man made a face, rolling his eyes and stuffing his item list into his cloak in surrender.

-.oOOo.-

Thanks to some careful fast-talking on Bakura's part, they managed to convince Seto to put off their school shopping until Ron, Hermione, and their families arrived at the Leaky Cauldron a few days later. Ron talked excitedly about his trip to Egypt as they made their way through Diagon Ally. Their first stop was the Magical Menagerie, as Ron's rat, Scabbers, needed to be tended to. The rat had not been looking well since the Weasleys had returned from Egypt, and while Ron haggled with the woman behind the counter, everyone else was looking around.

Atemu wandered around the familiar shop, looking around at the various pets, his own cat curled up around his neck. If it were not for the occasional happy purr, the animal would have looked more like a scarf than a living creature.

Ryou eventually came up beside him, stroking a kitten through the cage it was in. "Thinking of getting your kitten a companion?" he asked.

"Oh no, just Boco is enough," the pharaoh replied, patting the cat's head. Ryou blinked in confusion.

"Boco?" he asked as Yuugi passed.

The shorter boy leaned close to mutter, "The other me discovered the Playstation."

Ryou sweatdropped as Yuugi went off to look at some purple toads.

"You think you'll get a pet this time?" Atemu continued. "I imagine you could use the company in that apartment."

"Oh, believe me," Ryou replied, "With Bakura in my head, I may as well be living with a parent. 'Do this!' 'No, don't do that!' 'I wanna see my phaaaaaaraoh already!'."

Atemu sweatdropped, embarrassed; but further comments were cut off when someone shouted, _"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!"_

They turned just in time to see what was either a really large tabby cat or a small tiger land on Ron's head before pouncing on Scabbers. The rat squealed as Ron started shouting, and soon Scabbers was taking off out the door. Yuugi went after the rat right away, finding him hiding under a barrel near Quality Quidditch Supplies. He reached a hand toward him, and closed it around the trembling rat.

"It's okay, Scabbers," he cooed, stroking the rat's head in an effort to calm him. "It's okay, that cat can't hurt you anymore… and… I can't believe I'm talking to a rat…"

Just then, Ron and Harry rejoined him outside, and the former gratefully took his rat back.

"Where are the others?" Yuugi asked.

"Helping Hermione pick out… oh no!"

Hermione came back out of the Magical Menagerie, carrying an armload of ginger fur in her arms. It was the cat that had jumped on Ron, and it was hissing at Scabbers as she got closer. The others followed her out of the shop, Malik with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry, Ron," he said. "I tried to talk her out of it."

"But Crookshanks is so cute!" Hermione exclaimed.

Yugi got a good look at Crookshanks as Ron quickly hid Scabbers in his cloak. The cat's face looked like a bus had smashed it in. He sweatdropped at the thought.

"Yeah, really cute…"

-.oOOo.-

The night before they had to go King's Cross station and back to Hogwarts, Yuugi had packed up his suitcases and collapsed into bed, so exhausted he forgot to take off his half of the Millennium Puzzle before he fell asleep. That did not matter, however, as he was quickly shaken awake. He stared up, bleary eyed, at Harry's concerned face.

"What…?" Yuugi moaned.

"Yugi, I just heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking," he said urgently.

"So? Can't this wait till tomorrow?" Yuugi returned.

"No, it's about Sirius Black."

Yuugi woke up very quick. "That murderer guy? What about him?"

"He's after me," Harry stated.

Yuugi raised an eyebrow, confused. "How do you know that for sure?"

"Because," Harry urged, "I heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing. Mr. Weasley said that before Black escaped from Azkaban, he kept mumbling, 'He's at Hogwarts'."

"So?" the older boy repeated. "Do you know how many guys go to Hogwarts? How do you know he means you?"

Harry fixed him with an annoyed look. "Yuugi, haven't you been paying attention?" he asked. "Black was Voldemort's right hand man. Without Voldemort, he's nothing. I nearly destroyed him the first time, to the point where he became nothing more than a spirit. I don't know about you, but I think it's a pretty good chance that he's after me."

Yuugi made a face, still not looking too sure. "If you're right… then what are you going to do?"

Harry paused, biting his lip, before he shook his head. "I… honestly don't know. Watch my back?"

Yuugi grinned. "And your front, and everything else."


	3. The Dementor

**Yuugiou!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER THREE – THE DEMENTOR**

Draco growled under his breath, rubbing his forehead as he tried vainly to ignore his cousin's obnoxious prattling. They were on the train to Hogwarts, thankfully going someplace where he could easily loose sight of the annoying witch. He did not know if he was going to survive the train ride though, the way she was just going on and on, Crabbe and Goyle nodding with each word, pretending they were interested when he knew they really did not understand a single word she said.

Did he really used to be like that?

Finally, with a frustrated noise, Draco lifted himself from his seat, heading quickly for the door.

"Wherever are you going, Draco dear?" Ecillia purred.

"Somewhere you can't follow me," he snapped as he opened the door. "The toilet."

He slammed the door closed behind him, grateful for the peace and quiet of the hallway outside. He headed down along the corridor, peeking into various rooms, trying to find the others…

As it turned out, he ended up hearing them before he saw them…

"Pharaoh and tomb robber sittin' in a tree; F-U-C—"

"Finish that, Gravekeeper, and I'll knock you so flat your ancestors will feel it."

Draco smothered a laugh with a hand, going over to the cabin where the arguing was coming from and peeking into the room. The tomb robber had Malik by the shirt, while the Gravekeeper tried desperately to snap a picture of Bakura's angry face. Atemu was off in a corner with Yuugi, his hand over his eyes and trying to ignore the two of them as Hermione, Harry, and Ron scrambled to get them separated.

"Stop it, you two! You'll wake the professor!" Hermione protested.

Draco frowned slightly, changing his view slightly to see a bundle of rags curled up in a corner. Seto was seated beside the person, oblivious as usual, typing away on his laptop at a rapid fire pace.

Bakura finally let go of Malik, nudging Yuugi off to the side so he could properly cuddle his little bundle of pharaoh (much to his apparent annoyance), and Draco took that as a good time to enter. He slid the door closed behind him quickly, motioning for them to keep quiet.

"Can't stay long," he murmured. "My cousin's watching me like a hawk."

"Lucky you," Malik replied, flopping down beside Seto.

Yuugi made a face. "I'll enjoy the day when we can all hang out together and not have to worry about all this spy work."

"Agreed," Hermione replied, settling down beside Malik and glancing out the window. Outside, rain buffeted the train as it swept past towns and farms, and the cloudy sky overhead totally blocked any traces of light from the sun.

"Any idea when this lousy weather is going to let up?" Ron asked, taking a seat for himself.

"Hopefully before we get to the station," Harry commented. "I'd feel sorry for those first years if they had to go across the lake in a storm like this."

"They'd get over it," Draco remarked, settling beside Harry. "Would you still make the trip in this weather?"

Harry considered a moment… before nodding sheepishly. Draco just smirked, before nodding to the sorry scrap of rags.

"So, any idea who he is?" he asked.

"Professor Lupin, according to his bag," Seto replied distantly, not looking up from his PC.

"Lupin?" Draco repeated. "Never heard of him…" He paused a moment. "You don't think he's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, do you? I mean… just one hex looks like it could knock him flat."

Bakura sniggered softly as Atemu rolled his eyes.

"Well, whoever he is, let's just hope he doesn't end up going the way of Quirrel or Lockheart," the pharaoh replied.

"We're not that lucky," Ron muttered under his breath.

Draco smiled slightly. This… felt wonderful… just being able to sit and chat with people who actually gave a damn. It was different then his meaningless conversations with Crabbe and Goyle, even if the conversations were just as pointless. It was just… simple; simple banter between people who really had nothing at all in common.

He did not want to leave it.

"Ugh… I better start getting back," he muttered, going to stand up. Yuugi, however, turned pleading eyes up toward him.

"Stay a little longer?" he asked. "Just for one game?"

Draco made a face. "You know I haven't had a chance to practice…" he muttered… but settled back in his seat, despite his better judgment.

One game turned into several, and after a few hours passed, with the rain still beating steadily outside and score up to eight to zero, Draco was about to take his rather frustrated leave when the train started to slow. Ron looked outside, trying to see if they were at the school. However, the rain outside shielded him from any kind of clear view. Seto checked his watch with a frown.

"We can't be at the school yet," he said. "Besides, my computer would have shut off when we passed the barrier around the school."

Yuugi, closest to the door, got up to take a look outside their compartment and see if anyone knew what was happening. Before he could get to it, however, the train came to a stop with a sudden and violent jolt, sending him flying back to land on his other half's lap. Bakura let out a rude noise, pushing the pint-sized duelist off his precious pharaoh… just as the lights snapped off.

"What's going on?" came Ron's voice.

There came a terrified sound that sounded like it was from Draco, and Bakura groaned.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark, you brat," he growled.

"No, of course not," Draco snapped… before he made a face. "Just the stuff that lurks in the dark. Besides, something brushed against my leg."

"That was probably Crookshanks," Hermione said, disapprovingly. "I'm going to ask the driver what's going on."

Harry could barely make her out as she got up and started toward the door. Just as she reached it, there was a sudden yelp of pain.

"Hermione, that was my _foot!"_ Malik exclaimed.

"Oh, it's not like I broke anything," she replied.

"Yeah, but it still hurt," the Gravekeeper protested.

"Quiet!" someone suddenly snapped.

A light flickered into existence, revealing the very tired face of Professor Lupin. Despite the look on his drawn face, his eyes were alert, looking about the cabin.

"Stay here," he ordered them, heading for the door.

It slid open before Lupin could get to it, and what was on the other side got a strangled gasp out of Atemu. Illuminated by the dim light in the professor's hand was a tall, terrifying creature completely covered in a black cloak. The only part of its body that was visible was a gnarled hand, slimy and scabbed over, as if whatever was under the cloak had decayed long ago. Next came a rasping sound, as if the creature had taken in a large breath, trying to suck in more than just the air.

It was then that a sudden chill fell over everyone in the compartment. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest; a deep feeling of hopelessness and despair seemed to penetrate his very soul. His eyes rolled up into his head as a rumbling sound reached his ears, as if a rush of water was coming toward him. The rumbling grew louder, and then was broken by a loud, pleading scream. Harry tried to help the person, but he could not move. A thick fog had surrounded him, suffocating him, cutting him off from helping anyone or anything…

"Harry-kun! Harry-kun! Diajobou desu ka?!"

Someone was slapping his face.

"Malik, he didn't understand a word you said…" Seto interjected.

Harry opened his eyes to see Malik and Kaiba standing over him. Both of them were paler than normal, though the young businessman looked better off than Malik. The Hogwarts Express was moving once again, and the lights had returned to normal. The two boys helped Harry sit up, giving him a chance to look around at the others. Yuugi was curled up on the seat next to Bakura, who had Atemu on his lap, shuddering slightly in fear. Hermione was so pale; she looked like she could pass for one of the Hogwarts' ghosts. Ron and Draco were pale as well, but Bakura looked the most affected. He had a totally blank look on his face, as if he had seen something that had penetrated his very soul (though he still managed to keep a hand on the pharaoh's back, steadying him).

There was a sudden cracking sound above them. Harry looked up to see Professor Lupin breaking up a large piece of chocolate. He handed him the biggest piece.

"Here, eat this," he urged. "It will help you shake off the effects."

Harry looked down at his piece, but did not eat it.

"What was that thing?" he asked.

"A dementor," Lupin answered. "One of the guards of Azkaban."

Everyone stared up at him, except Atemu, who still had his head buried in his boyfriend's chest. Lupin crumpled up the chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat it," he told them. "I need to go speak to the driver."

Lupin left the compartment, leaving them to their thoughts of what happened. Harry looked around, confused.

"I don't understand," he began. "What happened?"

"Th… the dementors… they have a terrible ability," Draco began between mouthfuls of chocolate. "They suck all positive thoughts from around them, leaving a person with only thoughts of despair. This is why they are the guards of the wizard's prison of Azkaban. Constant exposure to such creatures eventually drains a wizard of all their abilities and drives them insane."

He paused a moment, fingering the last bit of chocolate before popping it into his mouth. He swallowed before continuing, "My mother's sister, Ecillia's mother, was convicted of being a Death Eater, and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. My mother would visit her every other month, and each time she would come home shivering."

Silence reigned in the compartment, and it was a long moment before someone spoke again.

"I… I saw…" Yuugi began. "I saw Jounouchi… I saw him dying again."

Malik looked down at him, sadly, a tear rolling down his cheek. He swiped it away furiously, before anyone could notice. Atemu, in the meantime, tightened his grip on Bakura, finally daring a peek up at him, only to see he still had that blank look on his face.

Atemu's eyes drifted away in thought. Those dementor things, for some people, it must have made them see the most horrifying experience of their life. For his aibou, seeing Jounouchi die because of God of Ra's attack back in Battle City was the most traumatizing thing that could have ever happened to him. If this was the case, he could only imagine how terrifying the thing the tomb robber had seen could have been…

-.oOOo.-

They did not talk much throughout the rest of the trip, even after Draco left to rejoin Ecillia, the arrival of the dementor totally ruining their good mood over going back to school. After the train arrived at the station and everyone disembarked, the eight of them split up into two groups of four and climbed into carriages pulled by invisible horses (though Malik and Yuugi kept insisting that there was something there). The carriages took them across the bridge that connected the main land to the island on which Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood on, its tall spires reaching up toward the sky.

They passed a set of iron wrought gates, and Yuugi felt another wave of cold wash over him. He looked out and saw that two dementors were standing guard on either side of the gate. Collapsing into his seat, he closed his eyes, trying to fight away the image that threatened to come to his awareness again until the coldness left and the feeling of despair vanished.

Seto shook his head, giving the short duelist something that resembled a sympathetic look.

"They didn't really affect me that much," he commented thoughtfully after a moment. Atemu smirked slightly.

"Probably because with my high priest around, you're already miserable," he commented. Seto just rolled his eyes, before Atemu continued, "Either way, you're lucky that they didn't affect you that much." He looked down at his hands. "I saw a lot of things… my father dying… when Mahaado…"

He broke off, biting his lower lip, as Bakura's grip on his shoulder tightened. They were silent for a long moment.

"I saw it again," the tomb robber stated, his voice sounding haunted. Yuugi and Seto turned to him in surprise, caught off guard that he would admit it. "I saw them all dying around me," he continued, not meeting their gazes. "I saw them begging for their lives… I saw the blood running down the streets…" He paused again, his fists clenched. "I saw them boiling together again… melting away… I saw that lunatic shaping the Items together…" Bakura closed his eyes. "I can't get it out of my head… I hate it… I hate him for what he did…"

Atemu clutched at him as silence fell over their carriage once again, until it pulled up to a halt at the steps of Hogwarts Castle. The four of them climbed out to rejoin Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Malik on the stone steps of the school.

"You _fainted,_ Potter?" a voice rang out over the crowd of students. "Is it really true? You _fainted?!"_

Harry turned around, glaring, as Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed their way toward them, a reluctant Draco following behind at a reasonable distance. Ecillia let out a mocking laugh at the look on his face, as if he was just something that she could just stamp under her heel.

"Shove off, Ecillia," Ron growled.

"Oh, did you faint too, Weasel dear?" she asked, a predatory look on her face.

"Is there a problem?" asked a mild voice. Everyone turned to see Professor Lupin coming out of a carriage, staring down at Ecillia disapprovingly.

"Um… no, _professor,"_ she jeered, before disappearing into the crowd once again, dragging poor Draco along behind her.

-.oOOo.-

Yuugi, Ron, Atemu, and Malik sat comfortably at the Gryffindor table, waiting patiently for the opening year feast to start. Harry and Hermione joined them shortly; they had been called away by Professor McGonagall for some reason, and had missed the Sorting Ceremony. When they were about to ask them what it was all about, Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the professor's table.

"Welcome!" the elderly headmaster exclaimed, his twinkling eyes taking in the whole of the Great Hall. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few announcements, and as one of them is very serious, I find it wise to tell you before your minds become befuddled by our excellent feast.

"As you are all aware of after their search of the train, our castle is being host to some of the dementors of Azkaban due to some Ministry of Magic business."

He paused a moment then, and Harry got the distinct impression that having the creatures at the school did not thrill the headmaster. After what had happened, it was not hard to see why.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I strongly urge that _no one_ is to leave the grounds unless they have permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises… or invisibility cloaks," Dumbledore added, a bland note in his voice. The six of them exchanged sheepish looks. "It is not in the nature of dementors to understand pleading or excuses, so it is imperative that you do _nothing_ to provoke them."

Dumbledore's gaze drifted about the Hall, making sure this sunk in to everyone's skulls before he continued.

"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause at that. The school had not had a good track record as far as Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers were concerned. Though, according to Hermione, he had chased off the dementor on the train, so that put him in a good light as far as Harry was concerned.

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued. "Well, I am sorry to report that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures professor, has decided to retire in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to tell you that this position has been filled up by our very own Rubeus Hagrid."

The applause at that was tumultuous, especially from the Gryffindor table. It took awhile for the applause to die down. Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth, ecstatic over their reactions to his new appointment, as Dumbledore continued his speech.

"And lastly," he began, "as you may all have noticed, a new course had been added to the elective choices last year, known as Ancient Magic. Here to teach that class is Professor Bobassa."

Yuugi's eyes bugged out of his head as Dumbledore waved to a man sitting at the end of the table, practically taking up two seats. He was wearing sand stained white and red robes lined with gold and a white turban, the same outfit he had been wearing when Yuugi and the others first met him in the museum, before they were trapped in Zork's memory world game. The large man waved cheerfully at the students in response to the polite applause that went through the Hall. Malik just stared, not sure how to react to the jolly man. Granted, he did not know what to expect for an "ancient magic" teacher, but this was far from being it…

Atemu, meanwhile… he just narrowed his eyes at the man, a hard expression on his face. What on earth was he doing here…?

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore declared. "Let the feast begin!"


	4. Divination and Ancient Magic

**Yuugiou!  
Balance**

Wow, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Sorry for the super long hiatus; most of this chapter was actually done awhile ago, it was just getting the motivation to _finish_ it. Thanks to those that have stuck around and continued reading; I hope you all like the new chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR – DIVINATION AND ANCIENT MAGIC**

Yuugi bit his lip as he looked around, feeling utterly and hopelessly lost. Divination was _supposed _to be all the way on the top floor of the North Tower, but he could not seem to find it. The fact that Peeves had shown up and attempted to do everything he could to get him even more hopelessly lost did not help matters. By the time he had gotten ride of the poltergeist, he was no better off than he had been before.

As he was about to just pick a direction and walk, he felt something suddenly cling to his back, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He turned slightly… and sweatdropped.

"Draco… what are you doing…?" he deadpanned.

Draco looked around, eyes wide. "You have to help me, Mutou. She's bloody mental!" he exclaimed in a hushed voice. "She won't leave me alone! She even insisted on sleeping in the boy's dorm last night! If the others hadn't protested, that would have been bad. Very bad."

Yuugi rubbed the side of his head. "Draco, your whole family's mental," he stated, shaking him off. "And what are you doing; lost too?"

Draco stood up straight, smoothing out his robes. "No, of course not," he replied. "I've got Muggle Studies now, but it's a private class. The professor said I could show up when I wanted, as long as I wasn't hopelessly late."

Yuugi blinked in surprise. "Private? Why—oh, right."

The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mutou. Slytherins don't _take _Muggle Studies," he replied chidingly. He settled his hands in his pockets before walking along the halls with him. "So, why are you lost?"

"Trying to find the North Tower for Divination," he replied. Draco stopped, goggling at him.

"You realize it's in the complete opposite direction?"

Yuugi paused, a weird expression coming to his face, before he hung his head dejectedly. "This place is impossible…"

Draco smirked. "It should be safe, so I'll help get you there," he replied. "Besides, if it's Divination, the professor already knew you'd be late."

"So comforting…" Yuugi muttered, starting off in the right direction that time. "What's the deal with your cousin anyway? Why's she even here?"

"Bloody hell if I know," Draco answered, shoving his fists into his pockets. "Supposedly her caretakers passed on. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed them herself."

Yuugi stared at him like he grew another head. "Is she that sadistic?" he asked.

Draco just shrugged. "I don't know. I don't… 'enjoy' her company enough. But I still wouldn't be surprised."

Yuugi sighed softly; why was it every time someone defected to the good guys, there was always another bad guy waiting to fill in the gaps? First it had been Kaiba, then his other half had crushed the darkness in his heart and Pegasus appeared. After Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus disappeared, and then Malik showed up in Domino. Now it was Draco and Ecillia; did it ever end?

A few hallways and a spiral staircase later, the two of them found themselves in a dead end landing. Yuugi looked around, perplexed.

"Where's the class?"

As if in answer, something popped open above them. Yuugi and Draco looked up just in time to see Neville poke his head out from a circular trapdoor marked "Sibyll Trelawney, Divination Teacher".

"Oy! There you are, Yuugi! Just like she said you would be!" he exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"Nice to see the party started without me," Yuugi replied jokingly, before turning to Draco. "Thanks for showing me the way."

"Don't mention it," the younger boy replied. "I'll see you later."

Yuugi turned to watch him head back down the spiral staircase, tussled blonde hair disappearing from sight as Neville lowered a silvery ladder for him to climb up with. He did so… only to find himself in what had to be the strangest room he had ever been in. His other classmates were at circular tables, seated in various chairs and fat poufs. The lighting was dim, and the thick smell of incense hung in the air.

Then there was the professor herself. Seated in a gaudy winged chair in front of a fire was a thin woman draped in a shawl as flashy as the chair she sat in. She also wore a pair of thick glasses that magnified her eyes, almost reminding him of…

"Welcome, Mr. Mutou. So kind of you to join us," Professor Trelawney greeted him.

"Uh… professor, if you don't mind my asking… are you related to an Insector Haga by any chance?" Yuugi asked before he could stop himself.

A loud snort came from behind him, and Yuugi turned to see Atemu and Malik sitting with the others, both of them with their hands clapped over their mouths, trying not to bust out laughing. The professor just smiled patiently, motioning for Yuugi to take a seat. He did so, practically disappearing in a pouf next to Harry, prompting the two of them to quickly switch seats.

"Now that we're all gathered, I would like each of you to divide into pairs. Take a teacup from the shelf, and come to me to have it filled. Drink until only the dregs remain, swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer. Wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then switch with your partner to read. Use pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future _to interpret your findings."

As soon as she finished, the class moved to comply. However, she reached out, grabbing Neville before he got a chance to get close to the shelf that had the teacups.

"Oh, dear. After you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Neville trembled, and try as he might; he ended up breaking his first cup anyway. Trelawney just handed him a dust pan and broom, reminding him to take a blue one, before returning to her seat.

Yuugi and Atemu paired up once they sat down, both trying to down the hot tea quickly. That in and of itself was a chore – whatever it was she made, made green tea sweet in comparison – before swilling the dregs as instructed and swapping cups.

"Umm… so, what do you see in mine?" Yuugi asked, squinting at the book, the atmosphere of the room making it difficult to concentrate.

"A lot of dirt in your future," Atemu replied, rubbing his eyes.

Yuugi snorted back a laugh. "Seriously, other me."

"Right, right…" Atemu muttered, glancing between the cup and the book. "I think this is supposed to be a ladder… 'success in business'." He gave his former host a dull look. "Sounds like a Kaiba cup. Oh, and this ringish thing is in there… 'admirers or love'. Well, we knew that already."

Yuugi pinked. "You're horrible," he said as the pharaoh sniggered.

"What about mine?"

Yuugi poured over the cup, comparing it to the book. "Looks like some kind of instrument… a harp I think…" He paused, smirking. "Awww… romance, how cute," he teased as it was the pharaoh's turn to blush. "But it looks a little broken. I guess that means you'll have trouble in romance?"

"I suppose…" Atemu replied, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. That did not sound so good… He turned slightly, looking to where the others had paired up. "How's yours going?"

Hermione waved a dismissive hand, looking rather displeased as Malik struggled to interpret her cup. Ron was scratching his head as he looked over Harry's cup, motioning for the others to come closer.

"I'm trying to figure out what this one is supposed to be," he said. "Some kind of animal or something…"

The professor had apparently heard them, for she swept toward their table.

"May I, my dear?" she asked, motioning for Harry's cup. Ron slid to the side a bit, letting her turn it about in her hands.

"Hm… the falcon," Trelawney murmured softly. "You have a deadly enemy."

"Well… duh," Atemu replied, drawing stares from the rest of the class. "What? Everyone knows that!"

The professor chose not to reply, continuing to turn the cup in her hands. "The club… an attack; the skull… danger in your path. Oh, dear, this is not a happy cup…"

Hermione was giving the woman's back a dull look, not impressed, as the other students crowded around their table; hanging on the professor's every word. Finally, she stopped a moment, bug eyes widening… before she let out a horrified scream, backing away from the cup. The tinkling of china came a moment later – Neville had broken his second cup. Professor Trelawney in the meantime, sunk into a vacant chair, trembling like a leaf.

"My dear boy… my poor, dear boy… no… it is kinder not to say… no, don't ask me…"

Of course, someone had to ask. "What is it, professor?" Dean Thomas asked.

Professor Trelawney leaned toward Harry, her voice just barely above a whisper… "My dear, you have the Grim!"

That did not have quite the effect on him the she had been hoping for. "What's that?" he asked.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" the professor howled. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts graveyards! My dear boy, it is an omen! An omen of _death!"_

Harry swallowed loudly, edging away from her. Everyone was looking at him, except for Hermione, who leaned over to inspect the cup still left on the table, eyes narrowed at it.

"_I_ don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.

The professor glared up at her with growing dislike. "My dear, you'll forgive me for saying so, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, fingering the collar of her sweater, under which the Millennium Tauk was hidden.

"Oh really?" she asked blandly. Malik and Yuugi were trying their hardest not to pass out from the howls of laughter they were holding back.

Professor Trelawney dismissed them early, and Harry and the others headed down to their Transfiguration class, taking their time as they tried to ignore the air of doom that hung above them. Harry and the others took their seats at the very back of the classroom. The other members of the class that had had Divination that morning kept taking glances back at him, as if they were afraid that he would drop dead any minute. Harry for the most part zoned out, hardly hearing what Professor McGonagall was saying about Animagi – wizards who could transform into animals at will. He did not even see it when she turned herself into a tabby cat with markings around her eyes the same shape as her glasses.

"Well, really!" she exclaimed, turning back into herself with a slight _pop._ "What has gotten into all of you today?"

Heads turned toward Harry, but no one said anything.

"Erm… professor," Malik began, "we just had our first Divination lesson and –"

"Ah, yes," Professor McGonagall interrupted, a look of disdain on her face. "Say no more, Mr. Ishtar. So, which one of you is going to die this year?"

Everyone stared at her before Harry raised his hand.

"I see," she said, a bit of a sour note in her voice. "Then you should know, Mr. Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney's favorite way to greet students on the first class of the year is to predict the death of one of them. None have died yet. If it's any consolation, you look in excellent health to me, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and the others laughed. Harry had to admit, it was hard to stay moody when Professor McGonagall cracked a joke. It happened so infrequently, after all.

-.oOOo.-

Atemu could not help but feel a bit apprehensive as they approached the classroom that was being used for their Ancient Magic class. He had not seen Bobassa since before he had reacquired his memories, but considering the large man was tied to Shaadi, his presence her could not be a good sign. Next to him, Yuugi glanced up at him, before giving his arm a pat. The former pharaoh shook his head; no sense in dwelling on it now.

They entered the class, only to find the interior much like an Egyptian tomb, with rough stone walls carved with hieroglyphs. Many of the students that were already assembled in the class were shifting nervously in their seats, looking about as the fire light from torches that littered the room cast threatening shadows all about. A soft gulp of nervousness escaped from Malik, before the three of them quickly shuffled to the back, where Hermione was already waiting for them.

Yuugi gave her a strange look as they settled down, confused. "I thought I saw you heading toward your Runes class?" he asked softly.

She waved her hand dismissively as Bobassa finally made his appearance, bouncing into the room happily; his demeanor a sharp contrast to the rest of the room. He waddled up to his desk, which was a bit larger than other professor's desks, most likely to compensate for his size.

"Welcome to your first day of Ancient Magic!" he exclaimed happily, though it was hard to understand him, as his accent was especially thick while speaking English. "I hope you'll grow accustomed to the way I talk, or at least I'll become accustomed to the way you talk."

A few of the students exchanged glances, clearly doubting his competence, as Yuugi, Atemu, and Malik sweatdropped. Bobassa took roll a moment later, happily waving to the three of them when he read their names, poor Malik looking utterly confused at him.

"Egyptian magic," Bobassa continued once he finished, "is the most ancient magic known to Muggle and wizard alike, dating back somewhere around ten thousand years. Most of the earlier magic used by the Egyptians were incantations and potions – methods not requiring a wand. For the first year, we'll be studying these more arcane methods, so wands away. Shoo shoo."

Those that had their wands resting on their desks quickly tucked them away into their robes. Bobassa waited patiently, folding his hands over his massive belly as he nodded in approval.

"Thank you, thank you. Now, as you can guess from the age of this magic, none of the incantations we'll be learning will be in Latin, but rather Egyptian. This is harder than it may sound."

Bobassa nodded up to Atemu. "Pharaoh, what word would I use in reference to fire?"

Atemu turned a bit red, slightly annoyed by the use of his title over his name. "There are several…" he replied after a moment.

"Exactly," Bobassa replied, bouncing on his feet, before turning to a set of braziers. With a murmur of Egyptian and a wave of his hand, fire sprang to life from them. "Now, this is going to be a hard class, I'll admit that to you. Many of the spells you'll learn here will be ones you're learning in other classes, so I suspect many of you will give up eventually."

The large man bounced over to the chalk board, letting that sink in as he picked up a book and chalk.

"Time for notes now," he declared happily. "Open up your _Deciphering Ancient Hieroglyphs _books to page four, and we'll begin…"

After the rather unnerving class, it was off to double Potions with Slytherin for Yuugi, Atemu, Malik, and Hermione. They barely arrived in time, having gotten turned around twice no thanks to Peeves, the school's obnoxious poltergeist. That earned them points off already and a rather sharp sneer from Professor Snape before they were ordered to their seats. Ecillia smirked at them as they joined Harry and Ron, while Draco was slumped over his book, trying to pretend his cousin did not exist. Yuugi felt sorry for him, but did not show it, for fear of getting Ecillia on his case.

After Potions, it was off to lunch before getting the afternoon off. Draco quickly left the Slytherin lunch table, before darting around the hallways, moving quickly and randomly, in the event that Ecillia had decided to trail him again. It was a relief to finally make it outside, and he quickly darted over to where he knew the others would be.

He flopped down beside Atemu and Bakura, who were cuddled together on the grass, watching Yuugi and Harry dueling. The thief glanced at him as the blonde let out a heavy sigh, a slight smirk coming to his face.

"You left your shadow behind," he remarked flippantly.

"Not funny," Draco bemoaned, as Kaiba walked up from behind them, the last to join their little gathering. "If I could get away with it, I'd find some spell that would not let her come within ten feet of me."

"Hn… your cousin is at it again, I see," Kaiba commented, settling down with his laptop.

"When isn't she?" Draco replied miserably.

Kaiba was quiet a moment as he set up his laptop, and Atemu raised an eyebrow at the expression on his face. He knew that look… that cold, calculating, "someone is going to walk away with a broken ego" expression. He had seen it often enough (and more than a few times ended up reversing it on him).

"You know…" Kaiba finally began and the Windows sound hummed over the tiny speakers. "Just because you can't do anything, doesn't me we can't."

Both Atemu and Bakura blinked at the tall young man, as Draco lifted his head slightly. Was the high priest finally becoming a positive influence… or were they both plotting something devious…

"…if it involves slight maiming, I'm in," Bakura piped up after a moment, drawing a sweatdrop out of the pharaoh. Bakura flicked it away, giving Atemu one of his looks. "Oh, c'mon, admit it. You want to get her too."

"Well, yes, but…"

"It's settled then," Kaiba interrupted before Atemu could protest, a confident smirk on his face. "We'll keep Ecillia so busy, stalking Draco will be the last thing on her mind…"


	5. Boggarts and Talons

Yuugiou!  
Balance

Apparently there are people out there that feel since I've stopped updating the original version of this series, it's okay for them to take my hard work, change characters and one or two words, and slap their name on it. This is not okay, and if you do indeed find any stories like this, please refrain from flaming them and inform me right away. I will deal with them personally.

That said, enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE – BOGGARTS AND TALONS 

September went on rather uneventfully. It was the usual in their normal classes, with the exception of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin was definitely competent enough – he did not stutter or constantly point out pictures of himself – but he unfortunately had to catch them up on the basics of the class to make up for the incompetence of the two teachers they had previously. This made many of the classes drawn out, and it was easy to see the professor getting frustrated over things they should have known already.

Out of their new elective classes, Ancient Egyptian Magic was easily the hardest. Bobassa would literally pile the homework on them, and it was a miracle if they came out of his class without an essay to do. The poor pharaoh got the brunt of the abuse from that class, as the roly-poly man would give him extra work to make up for the fact that he was a native speaker of Ancient Egyptian. Malik, Hermione, Yuugi, and Atemu were often found in the library, working together to get through the more grueling work for that class, before joining the others to work on the rest of their homework.

Hermione, however, easily had the heaviest workload out of all of them. She would often be found working until the early hours of the morning, slaving over all her homework. One day, when they were on the way to the Great Hall after Potions, the seam on her back came undone, spilling her books all over the floor. Malik instantly bent to help her out, before looking at the titles of some of the books.

"Hermione, you have Divination, not Arithmancy today!" he protested. "You're going to hurt yourself carrying all of these around."

"I do need it," Hermione protested, snatching the book from him. "Besides, if all it takes to be 'good' in Divination is pretending to see death omens left and right, then I doubt I'll be in that particular class for much longer."

Divination was clearly the easiest out of all their classes. Professor Trelawney always seemed to gaze at Harry like he was going to fall over any moment. The boys quickly learned that the easiest way to get a good mark in that class was to predict grim futures constantly – the more outrageous, the more likely the professor would leave them alone.

Some day near the end of the month, when the Gryffindors filed into their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, they entered the class to find that Professor Lupin was oddly absent. They all sat down, pulling out their books and settling down for another session of boring note taking when he finally made his entrance. He set his tattered old briefcase down on his desk before turning to the class.

"You can put away your books and parchment," he announced. "We're going to have a hands-on lesson today."

A curious murmur went about the room as they started packing up. They had never had a "hands-on" lesson before, unless you counted the time when Lockhart let loose a whole cage full of Cornish Pixies. The class followed Lupin out of the room and down the halls of the school, coming to a deserted corridor where Peeves, the school poltergeist, was bent over a keyhole, shoving a wad of chewing gum inside. The annoying specter broke out into a song as soon as he saw Lupin.

"Loony, loopy, Lupin! Loony, loopy, Lupin!"

If this bothered the professor at all, he did not show it. Instead, he calmly removed his wand from his robes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a useful little spell. Watch closely now," he announced, pointing his wand at the keyhole. "Waddiwasi!"

The wad of gum shot out of the keyhole like a bullet, imbedding itself into Peeve's left nostril. The poltergeist sped away, cursing, as the class laughed.

"Cool, sir," Dean Thomas declared.

"Thank you, Dean. Shall we?"

They continued down the hall, finally arriving at the almost deserted staff room. Professor Snape was sitting back in a low armchair, too preoccupied with a piece of parchment in his hand to really pay the Defense Against the Dark Arts class much heed. He did glare at Lupin when the professor entered though, which was not much of a surprise. Everyone knew Snape preferred that class over Potions, not to mention that it had been hard not to notice the Potion Master's clear disdain for the scruffy professor.

"Hope we won't be disturbing you, Snape," Professor Lupin said courteously enough.

Snape grunted, turning his focus back to what he was reading. "Just to warn you, Lupin, I wouldn't give Neville Longbottom anything too difficult unless he's getting help from another student."

Though there was not much malice in Snape's voice, it still made Neville flush in embarrassment. True, he was not the best out of the Gryffindor class, but he did try.

"Actually, I was hoping that Neville would assist me in this operation," Lupin replied. He led all of them to the end of the room, past where Snape was sitting, to an old wardrobe that wobbled as they approached. Some of the students backed off.

"Nothing to worry about," Lupin assured them, "it's just a boggart."

Apparently, this _was_ something to worry about. A handful of Yuugi's peers around him let out frightened gasps. Neville looked like he was going to pass out from terror.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," the professor continued, ignoring their reactions. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, even grandfather clocks. This particular one moved in yesterday, and I asked the headmaster to leave it for all of you to practice what you've been catching up on.

"Now, who can tell me what a boggart _is?"_

Not surprisingly, Hermione's hand was the first one up in the air.

"It's a shape-shifter," she answered, sounding like a textbook. "It can assume the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Precisely!" Lupin exclaimed, making Hermione glow. "So, this boggart has not assumed a form, as he doesn't know what will frighten the person on the other side of this wardrobe. All ready, we have a great advantage over it. Harry, why is this?"

Harry bit his lip, trying to think, and rather caught off guard by being called on. Hermione bouncing on her feet next to him was not exactly helping him, however.

"Um… because there's so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Right you are, Harry," Lupin congratulated. "I once saw a boggart that tried to frighten two people at once. It turned into some half-slug thing. More amusing than frightening.

"And this brings us to what we need to do. What really finishes a boggart off is laughter, and to laugh at a monster that turns into our fears, we must force it to assume a shape that's amusing. The charm is rather simple. Repeat after me… riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class repeated as one.

"Perfect," Lupin complimented. "Now, this is where you come in Neville. Tell me, what is it that you're afraid of the most?"

Neville's eyes darted between Snape, still sitting in his chair totally oblivious, to Professor Lupin. He moved his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Sorry, didn't catch that, Neville."

Neville looked back at Snape again before giving him his answer: "Professor Snape."

Over in his chair, Snape raised an eyebrow as the rest of the class laughed. Professor Lupin's expression turned thoughtful, before he shot the other professor a look that was meant to be apologetic, but was really rather amused.

"Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yeah…" Neville answered, nervous. "But, I don't want it to turn into her either."

Lupin chuckled. "No, not that, Neville. What sort of clothes does she wear?"

Neville stared at him, wondering where this was going. "A tall hat with a stuffed vulture on top. A long dress, usually green, and sometimes a fox-fur scarf. Oh, and a big red handbag."

A disgusted look appeared on Malik's face. "Where the hell does your grandmother get her fashion sense from, Neville?"

Neville grinned sheepishly as the class laughed again.

"All right, then, Neville," Lupin continued after the students settled down. "Can you picture those cloths in your mind?"

Neville nodded.

"Good," the professor replied, "because when the boggart comes out of the wardrobe, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. At this time, you will raise your wand – like so – and cry 'Riddikulus'. If all goes well, we'll have a Professor Snape in a green dress."

Snape's parchment flopped over, and he pursed his lips in annoyance. The class failed to notice, however, as they were too busy laughing at the thought of the oily, darkly garbed professor in a green dress and vulture-topped hat.

"Now, if Neville is successful," Lupin cut in, "the boggart will turn its attention to the rest of you. I want you all to now think of the one thing you fear the most, and a way to make it funny."

Atemu pursed his lips, trying to think. He was not even sure what he was afraid of – he never really thought of it before. How was he supposed to make something funny, when he did not even know what that something was? Yuugi tugging on his sleeve quickly brought him back to the real world, in time to see Snape looming over Neville, threateningly, reaching into his robe for his wand…

"R-r-r-riddikulus!" Neville stuttered.

There was a noise like a whip crack, and Professor Snape stumbled. He was suddenly wearing a long, lace-trimmed green dress along with a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten stuffed vulture. A gigantic red handbag swung from his shoulder, and a fox-fur scarf dangled about his neck, also looking like it had seen better days. There was a roar of laughter from the class; the real Snape slammed his parchment onto a nearby table hard enough for it to make a snapping-like sound before storming out. No one noticed, too busy laughing to really care.

"Parvati! Forward!" Lupin shouted

Parvati Patel jumped forward; ready to take on the creature, as Neville gratefully stood back. The fake Snape rounded on her, and with another crack, there was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy. Its wrapped faced turned to her as it dragged its feet toward her, raising its stiff arms…

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cried.

The bandage unraveled and got tangled around the mummy's feet; it fell face first, its head rolling off.

"I find that highly offensive," Atemu joked, a slight smirk coming to his face.

"Atemu!" Lupin roared.

It figured; the pharaoh darted past Parvati, still trying to think of something he was afraid of, not to mention how to make the nameless fear humorous. The headless mummy turned its focus to him and…

He supposed he should have seen it coming. There was a crack like a whip as the boggart changed again, and Atemu could dimly hear the class scream in terror and surprise as the fear he had been trying to think of finally loomed up before him. The creature growled softly at him as he stood frozen, his wand held up and his eyes widening as he stared at the long curved horns coming out from just behind cruel red eyes. Just above his head, the dragon head snapped at him from the creature's crotch, threatening to take a bite of him…

"_Other me!"_

Yuugi's shout snapped him out of it. Atemu closed his eyes and looked away, waving his wand blindly.

"_R-riddikulus!"_

Whatever the massive monster that was Zork turned into must have been rather humorous, for the whole class burst out laughing. Atemu did not pause to see what it was though, quickly turning around and rushing out of the room.

-.oOOo.-

"I never thought I'd see the day."

Atemu groaned softly at the familiar voice behind him, curling his arms tighter around his head in a protective little ball. After leaving the room, he had fled to the library, hoping the quiet of the massive amount of books would help still his rapidly beating heart. It did not seem to help much, however, and the fact that rumors flew through the school like wildfire did not help Kaiba's presence behind him.

"I don't want to hear it, Kaiba," he muttered into the table.

The thump of a bag somewhere near him on the table proved Kaiba could not take a hint and go away.

"I wouldn't have thought you of all people would have been afraid of a dragon-penis god."

Atemu groaned. "Go. Away."

Kaiba chuckled in amusement, bringing out his laptop for some quality spreadsheet time. Despite the business work though, he kept an eye on Atemu, who remained there despite the steady stream of key clacking.

"You know… I expect that more from the twit in my head than from you," he finally said. There was a long pause, before Atemu finally lifted his head, not looking at him.

"I just felt…" he began. "When I saw Zork, it felt like everything I've done up till now had been a horrible lie; that I was still standing there under him, without any weapons or summons… so helpless, just waiting for him to end everything… and…"

He buried his head back in his arms. "If… Yuugi hadn't said anything, I don't know what would have happened."

There was another long pause, during which the steady key clacking gradually slowed down, before stopping all together. After a moment, Atemu felt Kaiba's hand on the back of his head, giving him an awkward pat.

"…you're still here," he finally said after a moment. "So the things you've done up till now still mean something."

Atemu blinked slowly, processing what he said, before letting out a soft sigh. "Thanks… thanks, Kaiba."

Kaiba let out a noncommittal noise, patting his head again before going back to his typing.

-.oOOo.-

Everyone was still talking about their fantastic Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson the following Monday. Harry was annoyed by it, though; apparently, Lupin had prevented him from having his try against the boggart. Atemu wished it had been the same with him, but then again, the professor probably stopped Harry from having a turn because he was afraid of Voldemort showing up in the middle of the class. He pointed this out to him, but that did make Harry any happier. His fear was not Voldemort; his fear was the dementors, and he told them as much as he, Yuugi, Hermione, Ron, Atemu, and Malik made their way down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Yes, Voldemort does frighten me," he consented, "but all he can do is kill me. Those dementors can do far worse than that."

The six Gryffindors arrived at the hut, to see that Draco and the other Slytherins had already gathered for that day's double lesson. The blonde haired boy had his hands in his pockets, despondent as usual, while Ecillia was practically glued to his hip. Their little group ignored them though, huddling over with the other Gryffindor students that were gathered by a wooden fence.

"Hagrid said he's got something special to show us today!" Seamus whispered in excitement, rubbing his hands.

"Just as long as it isn't anymore flobberworms," Ron commented dryly.

"Oh, Weasel, don't want to see your best friends anymore?" a snobbish voice behind them asked. They did not even bother to turn around.

"Bug off Ecillia," Ron snapped.

Ecillia was never one to take a hint though. "This place has seriously gone to the dogs," she said loudly. "Especially with that idiot teaching classes. I should tell my uncle about it, see what he can –"

"Bloody hell, _shut up, _Ecillia," Draco finally snapped.

"Oh, something wrong, Draco d—"

Lavender squealed suddenly in delight, cutting her royal annoying-ness off. On the opposite side of the paddock, being led around by Hagrid, were a dozen of what had to be the most bizarre creatures in the magic world. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of a horse, yet the front legs, wings, and heads of an eagle. Hagrid steered them toward the fence where everyone was waiting, and the class backed up as they came to a stop.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid exclaimed, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Yuugi, Harry, and Malik went closer to the fence to get a better look at the creatures, though the rest of the class seemed content with hanging back nervously. Hagrid was right; once you got over the shock of seeing something that was half horse and half bird, they really were magnificent.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid instructed. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle were not paying attention, and Harry got a sinking feeling they were plotting on how to disrupt the lesson.

"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid kept going, not noticing the three of them talking amongst themselves. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

"Right… so, who wants ter go first?"

The whole class took another step back at the proposition. Even their little group had their misgivings, save for one of them. Feeling a bit reckless, Malik raised a hesitant hand, announcing he would do it before he vaulted over the paddock fence.

"Good man, Malik!" Hagrid roared. "Right then, let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He pulled a steel gray hippogriff away from the others, slipping off its leather collar. The class behind the paddock seemed to be holding its breath as the creature approached the Egyptian – who seemed far too short in comparison to the beast – eyeing him skeptically. Ecillia was watching him with narrowed eyes, as if daring him to mess up.

"Easy now, Malik," Hagrid said quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

Malik's eyes instantly started to water, but he refused to blink; Buckbeak was staring at him with his large, yellow eyes, just half expecting him to mess up. He swallowed, feeling the contents of his recent meal churning in his stomach.

"Tha's it," Hagrid was saying. "Tha's it, Malik… now bow…"

Malik bent down at the waist, not taking his eyes off of the hippogriff. He hesitated a moment, before he came back up and waited, but the animal was still staring at him haughtily.

"Ah…" Hagrid began, sounding worried, "right, back away now, Malik. Easy does it –"

Just as the Egyptian was about to relocate himself to the other side of the fence in less than a few seconds, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees into an unmistakable bow. Malik's face lit up; he did it!

"Well done, Malik!" Hagrid exclaimed. "Now yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

After that, Malik was not so sure he still wanted to be within striking distance of the animal. Despite his misgivings thought, he walked up to the animal and carefully patted his beak. Buckbeak closed his eyes lazily, enjoying the special treatment. Meanwhile, the rest of the class broke out into applause, except for Ecillia and her entourage, who looked disappointed. Draco merely smiled softly.

"Righ' then, Malik," Hagrid continued. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"

Malik's head came up, eyes widening in worry. "R-ride?"

"Sure! Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," the giant of a man explained, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"

Malik fought back a gulp. He had never ridden anything before, except during broom flying lessons in his first year, something he was fairly good at, though not as good as most people he had seen. Swallowing loudly, he put a foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing, hoisting himself up onto his back. He looked around as the hippogriff stood up straight, not sure what it was he was supposed to hold onto. Everything in front of him was covered in feathers.

"Go on, then!" Hagrid exclaimed, slapping the hippogriff's hindquarters.

Malik hastily settled for wrapping his arms around the hippogriff's neck as the twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of him. They soared upward, and he shut his eyes tightly in fear as the creature's wings beat uncomfortably against his legs, making him feel like he was about to be thrown off any minute.

After a moment, however, he got up enough courage to open his eyes, and beheld the awesome sights around him. Below, he could see the others, pointing up at him excitedly, just to the side, the forbidden forest stretched out, not looking as "forbidden" in the daylight. Before him, Hogwarts castle loomed, just hiding the lowering sun. He bit his lip in excitement as the hippogriff flew around, hesitantly unwrapping his arms and balancing himself, letting the wind beat against him.

"Woohoo!" Malik whooped in excitement, before letting out a worried noise as the creature dipped back down. All too soon, the ride was over, and he and Buckbeak landed roughly back in the paddock. He whispered his thanks to the hippogriff before jumping off.

"Good work, Malik!" Hagrid congratulated as almost everyone cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

The rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock, much to Hagrid's delight. He untied the other hippogriffs one by one, and soon students were bowing to the creatures. Ron and Harry had decided to practice on a chestnut colored one, while Hermione and Atemu were already patting the black one they had bowed to. Neville had to keep running away from his, as it obviously did not like him very much. Yuugi's bronze one had taken to him almost immediately, and every time he went to check on the others, the creature butted him lightly, demanding more petting.

Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak, dragging poor Draco along with them and making him bow before the animal. It warily returned the bow, and the blonde was happy to pet its head gently, slightly amused by the creature. Ecillia was petting the creature's beak, a disdainful look on her face.

"This is very easy," she declared, loud enough so Malik could hear. "I knew it would have been, if that foreign freak could do it. You're not all that dangerous at all, are you, you big ugly brute?"

What happened next went very fast. Next thing Draco knew he was being knocked aside by the creature's massive front legs. A moment later there was a flash of gray talons, and Ecillia let out a high-pitched scream. Soon, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar while trying to get to where she was curled up on the grass, blood staining her robes.

"I'm dying!" she wailed pathetically. "I'm dying! That monster's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" Hagrid objected, lifting her up in his arms.

Hermione went to open the gate to the paddock, and as the giant of a man passed, Draco could see a long, deep gash on Ecillia's thin arm. Blood splattered onto the grass as Hagrid ran with her back up to the castle. The rest of the class followed, with Hermione locking the gate to the paddock behind them. The Slytherins in the class started shouting about Hagrid, demanding him to be fired and other such ludicrous things, before they went off to their own common room in the dungeons. Yuugi and the others started for the library, hoping they could catch Seto or Ryou in there before dinnertime.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Draco asked, a bit nervously.

"'Course she will. Madam Pomfrey can mend just about anything," Harry said. "You know that, Draco."

"Yeah, but…" he trailed off, kicking at the ground. "She did it on purpose, I know she did! When my father finds out about this, Hagrid will probably end up back in Azkaban!"


End file.
